The Indianapolis Colts open the season Sunday as home underdogs, with the Baltimore Ravens coming to Lucas Oil Stadium for a Week 1 matchup that already carries plenty of attention.
FanDuel Sportsbook lists Baltimore as a 3.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 47.5. The game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
For the Colts, this is the kind of early test ownership has been pushing for. The message from above has been clear all summer: the pressure on head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard is real, and Carlie Irsay-Gordon said the theme for this season is to "find a way" to win each week.
That means ugly wins count, too. It means surviving when the script goes sideways.
Baltimore arrives with Lamar Jackson leading the way, and that alone usually makes the Ravens the favorite. They also come in after an 8-9 season of their own, though that result felt very different from Indianapolis’ because the Ravens have been a regular playoff team while the Colts have now gone five years without a postseason berth.
There’s also a major reset happening on the Baltimore sideline. The Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 years, bringing in Jesse Minter as head coach for the first time.
Declan Doyle, just 30 years old, is stepping into play-calling duties on offense for the first time. On defense, Anthony Weaver is back with Baltimore after spending two years as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.
That Weaver connection adds a little extra familiarity to the matchup. The Colts saw his Dolphins defense in Week 1 last year and handled it decisively, rolling to a 33-8 win behind 418 yards of offense and 38:43 of possession.
Indianapolis should look a lot closer to full strength this time around, too. Daniel Jones is back healthy after injuries derailed part of the 2025 season, and the Colts are also getting DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward Sr. and Justin Walley back after injury-filled campaigns. Jones was part of a Colts offense that started hot last year before his injuries started to bite, and he now returns with receiver Alec Pierce, who missed the offseason after ankle surgery.
The Colts’ skill group has plenty of reasons to matter in this one. Josh Downs, Tyler Warren and Jonathan Taylor are all expected to play major roles on offense.
Defensively, Lou Anarumo now has a much different group to work with. Along with the returning starters, the Colts added linebackers CJ Allen and Akeem Davis-Gaither, edge defender Arden Key and safety A.J. Haulcy.
In Other News...
Colts Just Sent A Clear Message With This Late Roster Shakeup
The Colts made a late roster tweak this week, moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta from the practice squad onto the 53-man roster and waiving cornerback Jaylon Jones to open the spot. Its the kind of transaction that can get overlooked on a busy roster sheet, but it points to where Indianapolis wanted a little more security heading into the stretch run: the backup tackle group.
Tenuta gives the Colts added depth behind the starting offensive line, while the corresponding practice-squad move brought in tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr. to fill the vacancy. Small as it may seem, the shuffle says plenty about how the team is trying to balance protection up front with the flexibility to keep the rest of the roster stocked. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Made A Secondary Decision Fans Didn't See Coming
The Colts kept tweaking the bottom of the roster by moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, a shift that opened a spot for the team to make another pass at its depth. To keep the practice squad balanced, Indianapolis also brought in free agent tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr., an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers who made his college move from defensive end to tight end.
The move that stands out most is on the other side of the ball, where the Colts waived cornerback Jaylon Jones, a two-year starter for the team before this latest shake-up. Tenuta brings prior NFL stops with the Bills, Packers and Cardinals, but Jones departure adds a layer of intrigue because it trims from a position group that has mattered for Indianapolis, and it leaves one more roster question hanging as the team sorts out what it wants its secondary to look like next. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Secondary Draws Fresh Scrutiny Right Before The Opener
The Colts secondary is getting a little unwanted attention as the season opener approaches, with two defensive backs landing on the NFLs fine list for preseason infractions. Cam Taylor-Britt was hit for unnecessary roughness on a tackle in the finale against the Lions, while Trey Washington was fined for a facemask in a preseason game against the Falcons, adding a late-week reminder that discipline has been part of the conversation around this group.
The bigger issue for Indianapolis is the timing. Taylor-Britt is already set to miss the opener because of a separate suspension tied to a violation of the leagues personal conduct policy, leaving the Colts to sort out their back end without one of its most recognizable defenders. For a unit trying to settle in before the games start counting, the added fines only underscore how little margin there is for error. [Read more 🡒]